Running Doc Makes Rapid Recovery, Hopes to Return to Running in 2015

On March 28, 2013, Dr. Ted Houk was commuting to work, as usual, with a morning run. For years, the Lutherville doctor had become a familiar face to commuters on Charles Street as he jogged past traffic in black bicycle shorts, briefcase in hand, with a long braid down his back. But that March morning nearly six months ago, he was jogging down Charles Street when he was hit on the right leg by the bumper of a car, cracked the car’s windshield, and was immediately flown to Maryland Shock Trauma. The accident left him with numerous fractures in his right leg, two fractures in his right collarbone, four cuts around the left knee, and a chip fracture in his left hip.

Dr. Houk before the accident.

Since the accident, Dr. Houk, an internist who practiced independently, has endured surgeries, therapy and more. After months of tender care from his wife – and office manager – Pamela Jenkins, he’s been making a wonderfully rapid recovery. He will return to practicing medicine in January 2014, and hopes to be up and running by 2015.

Although the therapy he has been undergoing is extremely intensive, Dr. Houk also found time to return to a favorite pastime and write letters to the editor that have been published in the Baltimore Sun.

A quick list of medical procedures and therapies that Dr. Houk has undergone so far:

– Two weeks in intensive care at Shock Trauma

– Transfer to Kernan Hospital for six weeks of Inpatient Rehab

– In House Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy for two months

– Outpatient Therapy at Kernan for five weeks while doing walking exercises twice a day

Currently, Dr. Houk has a frame (see picture above) on his right leg. “The purpose of the frame,” he remarks, “is to align the fractured pieces of bone so that they heal in their original alignment.”

“The toughest part of the recovery is probably just the pain in the leg,” says Dr. Houk, which is ironically a good sign of progress in the healing of the bone fractures. “I’ve also been fortunate to have an above average amount of progress,” he continues, “but I’ve been pretty patient, and I’ll definitely be glad when times are better.”

Grateful for everyone’s support during his recovery, Dr. Houk says, “The bottom line is that we got support from the whole community – friends, and the medical community, and I’m very thankful. We’re very lucky and blessed to have the support of so many people.”

2 COMMENTS

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